Somewhere in the Former Nation of Ukraine, URNC Territory, 2087...
The blackened sky hung overhead, the clouds hiding the light from the stars above as the snow softly fell, the flakes drifting in the wind over the desolate graveyard. The lone, jacket-clad figure stood in the biting cold, gazing emptily down at the headstone before her in muted silence. The name was inscribed clearly on the grave, personal effects that were no doubt of great sentimental value to the previous owners littered the ground around it, long weathered from exposure to the elements, some of which she recognized from companions from long ago.
This is where he was buried...He was really gone.
It was finally starting to settle in, her heart pounded against her ribcage as a pit formed in her stomach, her head felt light and dizzy, the blood in her veins felt as if it was freezing solid as her hands began to quiver. It wasn't the first time she had experienced this storm of emotions, but feeling them in this body had a rawness to it that was uncanny to her.
At least he was remembered. She pushed out the thoughts of what might have happened to her sisters. Were they buried somewhere too? Recognized and remembered for who they were? Or were they simply broken down into scrap? Recycled into some other contraption whose owners cared not for where it came? Or simply tossed into a heap, left to rust away until the end of time?
She exhaled a shaky breath, heaving as her emotions overwhelmed her as she stood alone in the freezing cold...No, she wasn't alone.
The sound of footsteps behind her brought her to her senses, the beam of a flashlight on her back casted a shadow in front of her.
"Miss, do you have a moment?" A voice called from behind her, it's tone carrying an underlying sense of authority.
Not turning to show her face, the woman waved him off, briskly walking away.
"Miss, excuse me, I need to ask you some questions." The voice called after her.
She increased her pace, the snow crackling underneath their footsteps, but not loud enough for her to make out the flick of a radio behind her.
"Visual on suspect...green jacket, brown hair, heading to...north gate of the cemetery."
He had people looking for her here, too. It was an obvious place she'd turn up, after all. She knew it was stupid of her to come here, but what did she have to lose at this point? She didn't care whether she lived or died. Of course, that didn't mean she would make it easy...She kept walking, her eyes fixed on a concrete tomb just ahead of her.
"Miss, please." The officer yelled out, the footsteps increasing in pace.
She was almost there, she increased her step once again as she neared the corner.
The sound of a gun clearing its holster. "Lunasia, stop where you are."
The sound of that name made her sick to her stomach and sent her blood to its boiling point - and it made what was about to happen next all the more easier for her. She lurched around the hard cover of the tomb, her fingers curled around the grip of her handgun as she ripped it from her waistband.
"GUN!"
Frankfurt, Germany, February 2065...
A cool blast of wind hit M4A1's face, snapping her out of the memory as she quickly pulled the hood of her parka back up over her hair. The setting sun casted a dim orange light over the quiet snowy street, dark shadows casted across the sidewalk as night slowly crept into the sky. She out an exhale, her breath turning to vapor in the freezing cold. It was strange going back after those years, back to the way a doll's sensors worked - how she experienced warmth, cold, pain. It felt different, but it didn't stop the cold from bringing back the memories...
"I hate snow..." She thought to herself.
The Commander stood next to her, clad in a jacket and discretely leaned against a wall at the edge of an alley, his hood pulled up and a neck-gaiter concealing his face, far from suspicious being outside in the middle of winter.
His hand moved to his earpiece. "How are things at ground level, Rachel?"
"I've checked the blindspots of the security cameras in the area, there's nobody suspicious hanging around." RO's voice sounded from the other end.
"Keep your eyes peeled, it won't be long now. What about your end, Sarah?"
"Rooftops are clear, I haven't seen anybody hanging around the windows either." ST AR-15's voice relayed.
A short while passed before the Commander brought up his wrist, pulling back his sleeve to check the face of his watch. "Alright, Emily, it's time."
Emily Forbes - that was her name now, the name on the ID Maggie had put together for them. She didn't know if she cared for how on-the-nose it was...
M4 gave a brief nod. The Commander leaned off of the wall, briskly rounding the corner as she trailed behind, her arm self-reassuringly grazing the outline of her Beretta underneath her jacket.
They walked casually down the sidewalk, eventually reaching the outside of a storefront. The Commander gave the handle a quick tug only to be met with resistance, his eyes falling to the "closed" sign displayed through the glass. Letting out a sigh of exasperation, he strutted off to the side, leaning against the wall and pulling out a phone to gaze at the screen, idly tapping his fingers on the blank surface.
A few short moments later, another jacketed figure strutted past, leaning against the wall close to him as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Slipping one into his mouth, he reached into his pocket, only for his fidgeting and fumbling to become more aggressive. Letting out a defeated sigh, he turned to the Commander. "Got a light? I seem to have lost my lighter."
The Commander shook his head. "I don't smoke, haven't since the bronze ages."
The underlying tension faded as man reached into his other pocket, pulling out a lighter. "That's fine, looks like I've found my lighter after all." The lighter flicked on, the flame igniting the tip before he let out a small drag. M4 seemed to relax a bit too, turning her attention from the man to the surrounding street as she scanned attentively.
"Hope that pack lasts, I hear they're talking about banning those soon." The Commander remarked.
The man let out a heavy exhale, blowing out smoke with an air of frustration behind it.
"...How are the kids doing?" The Commander asked.
"Naughty. You were right, I should have been paying more attention to their behavior, but the wife isn't making it easy." The man replied.
"You can't expect changing schools to solve everything, especially with the crowd they fell in with."
"I wish there was more I could do, especially with the report cards they've been bringing home." The man slipped him a file discretely, which the Commander immediately tucked under his jacket. "I checked out the place you said you saw them hanging out. You were right, it's bad news. Lots of drugs and alcohol going into the party they're hosting. I don't like the bouncers they have outside either."
"Those Mangi guys sure get around, don't they?"
The man nodded. "The transition of power hasn't been going particularly smoothly. There's no shortage of officers handing in their resignations or being run out for, shall we say, 'unaligned values', and Mangi's picking up the slack. Foreign mercenaries handling local law enforcement is about as popular as you would expect."
"The endless benefits of a global society..." the Commander dryly remarked.
"Right...you and your bosses never did see eye-to-eye on things, did you?"
"You don't sound like you're toeing the party line yourself, these days..."
The man shook his head bitterly. "Make no mistake, I still believe in the higher cause." He took another drag from his cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke into the cold air. "...I've always despised mercenaries, I don't care for what you do or why you do it."
"I can't really call myself one anymore."
"No...But there are many who could call you a terrorist...Still, I can put together why Mangi's getting brought in and why your people aren't. What they are scheming is an affront to everything I fought for, this isn't the way the new world should come about..."
"Then perhaps someone should do something."
The man cast his look downwards, giving the cig another drag. "The old guard is being kept under close watch, I had plenty of close calls just investigating that venue, and I might be getting drummed out shortly regardless. I only agreed to meet you because I still owe you for that favor in Belgrade, and...up North. I hope you can understand the...inflexibility of my position."
"Then it's business as usual for me - tip of the spear while everyone else's hands are tied or seated firmly under their asses." The Commander resolved sardonically.
"I won't stop you. I owe you and your...associates that much, but there are many out there who will try - and I can't stop them, either. I hope you know what you're getting into."
"I'm already neck deep, I might as well take the plunge and get it over with."
"Well, whatever you decide to do, I hope you're smart enough to keep your head down. We're even now, and even if we weren't, this is the limit of what I can do for you. Let's hope we don't meet again, next time would have both of us in a very awkward position." The man flicked away his cigarette. Leaning off of the wall, he slipped his hands back into his pockets before casually strutting off.
Lingering for a short while, the Commander let out a breath as he tapped his finger aimlessly on the case of the phone, the batteryless burner showing little else but his own reflection. He looked up to M4, who after giving the street one last once-over, gave him a brief nod.
As they walked a ways down the road, two others filed in besides them. The woman in the yellow coat had her black hair styled into a single ponytail, the silver fringe dyed black to match with the rest of her hair, and a yellow contact lens over her right eye hiding its crimson iris. The woman in the purple fleece-hoodie covered her legs with a pair of jeans as opposed to the uniquely branded stockings she usually wore under a sundress that would stick out like a sore thumb in the freezing weather. A beanie was worn over her pink hair, not that dyed hair was particularly suspicious in the Green and White Zones - DEFY had managed to squeak along just fine without being made, and Gray had managed to evade suspicion for almost a decade despite being supposedly totally gray in her 30's. There was also that scientist for Galatea that had bizarrely chosen to dye her hair a toothpaste-teal for reasons that escaped the Commander entirely.
After a while had passed, the Commander discretely hit his communicator. "How's it looking, River? Anybody following us?"
"You're all clear on my end. You didn't alert the entire doll black market this time, unlike Berlin. Color me impressed." UMP 45's voice chimed sarcastically.
"Berlin was a lapse of judgment. It's not happening again." The Commander asserted.
"You'd better hope not, shooting cops will land you in a lot more trouble than shooting bandits."
"You don't say...This Navpoint you sent me, you still haven't told me what kind of place it is."
"Just a place you can lay low and get your bearings. I'm sure you won't be disappointed by the accommodations."
Images of a dingy, run down safehouse entered the Commander's mind. Sleeping on a dirty, bare mattress inside of some condemned building wasn't something he was looking forward to. He had hoped he hadn't lost that certain talent of falling asleep anywhere in any position that every soldier picks up during their term, or it was going to be a rough night.
"And you trust it?" The Commander asked.
"Yes, and you will too once you see it." 45 answered confidently.
So a place where no rational human being would ever set foot...Well, in any event, he was no stranger to Black Mold thanks to the Army's accommodations back home...
Arriving at the Navpoint, the Commander had to do a double-take. What stood before him wasn't some decrepit condemned building, but a storefront that seemed to be very much in business. Tables with patterned umbrellas were arranged outside, a colorful awning shaded the outdoor patio. Double and triple checking the coordinates, the Commander hesitantly pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The smell of flowers and coffee greeted him as he entered the café. The polished hardwood floor stretched out before him into a lobby adorned with wooden tables and fresh flowers. A classic piano tune played from the radio on the front counter, a glass case showcasing an assortment of pastries, chalkboards with daily specials written in neat handwriting propped up in front. Behind the counter, a woman with an aura that exuded maturity and serenity stood cleaning out a coffee mug, her strawberry blonde hair flowing down her back in a long, neat ponytail as her emerald eyes fixed attentively on the cup.
RO found herself doing a double-take. "Is that-"
"Shh." The Commander cut her off with a nudge, adjusting his gaiter higher on his face. "Turn your face away from her." He ordered under his breath. "Come on, let's go off into the corner and wait for River and Reina." Turning his face away from the counter and pretending to check out the the tables, he casually walked to a booth at the far end. "Rachel, Sarah, sit facing away from her. Emily, keep your hood up and face the door with me."
"There's no need for the secrecy, Commander." The woman's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"River..." The Commander grumbled under his breath before turning to face the owner. "Springfield...I wasn't expecting to see you here..."
Springfield made her way from behind the counter, fresh cup of coffee and saucer in hand. "It's Haruta now, actually...Haru is fine too." She placed the cup onto the booth, motioning towards the seat. "Sit down, Commander, warm up. You must have been freezing out there."
"Did River tell you we'd be coming?" M4 asked as she sat down next to the Commander, brushing back her hood.
Springfield nodded as she made her way to the front door, switching the sign to "closed" before making her way back. "She did. Kai and Misty are upstairs as well, so there's no need to tiptoe around."
The Commander sighed. "I was hoping not to involve you in this...If the URNC realizes that we've talked, well...You look like you've done well for yourself, I don't want to ruin that for you. I know that you'd been saving for a long time."
"Don't stress yourself about that Commander, now, is there anything I can get y'all while you wait?"
It was at that moment that the Commander realized how long it had been since he had eaten something that didn't come from a can or an MRE. M4 was a talented cook, but there was only so much she could do with what they had access to back at the Elmo. His stomach called for some real food - eggs, bacon, sausage...
"I didn't know dolls could own their own businesses, was there some kind of new resolution passed recently?" RO raised.
"Well...no, but there are ways around that..." Springfield replied.
"Ways around?..." RO pressed.
"Well, like having the business registered to a human owner..."
"...And where is this human owner now?" STAR asked.
"...I couldn't tell you, just, er..." Springfield's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned closer to the table. "Don't order anything with sausage in it for the next couple of weeks..."
A heavy silence washed over the table as uncomfortable glances were shot amongst each other.
Springfield suddenly brought her hand to her mouth as she let out an amused giggle, relishing the looks on their faces. "Ehehe! Only joking. He doesn't exist, obviously." Her lips curled into a teasing smile as she watched the tension fade from the group. "Now, what can I get y'all?"
"...A waffle, please." The Commander answered.
"Waffle." RO spoke as Springfield's gaze turned to her.
"Waffle." STAR nodded in solidarity.
"Waffle for me, too." M4 placed.
"Coming right up." Springfield cheerfully turned from the table and shuffled back behind the counter.
It wasn't much longer before the sound of a door opening grabbed M4's attention, the familiar visages of the UMP sisters making their way inside.
"Hallo, Kommandant~" 45 flashed her signature grin as she made her way over.
"Damn it, River, I told you not to get anybody else involved." The Commander scolded.
"Oh, come off of it, Commander. Surely this is preferable to sleeping behind a dumpster out in the cold?"
"I'm a wanted man, River. If Griffin finds out she's been harboring us-"
"It wouldn't be the only risk she's been taking lately. Trust me, she knows what she's doing. Surely you're well aware that there's more to Haruta than meets the eye?"
The Commander scoffed disapprovingly.
"Besides, I made sure you weren't followed...And I'd be correct in assuming the fragments of that parasite in your dear Emily's head made short work of any surveillance along the way, right?"
M4 nodded slowly. "Any cameras we passed under were returning a looped feed."
The Commander's eyes turned to UMP 9 to change the subject. "Reina, it's been a while...Nice to see you back in a doll frame and not a toaster."
The warm smile faded from 9's face. "Please don't bring that up..."
45 clasped her hands together. "Now, I hope you all remember that we didn't just come here to catch up with old friends. Let's see that file you got from your buddy in the Stasi."
"'Buddy' is pushing it." The Commander remarked as he pulled the file out from his jacket, opening it on the table to reveal its contents.
Coordinates and images of a warehouse facility, photographs taken of patrols and posts, overhead satellite imagery, annotated reports and documents..
The Commander's eyes scanned the report.
Placed under heavy security by Mangi Security Services... Large number of cargo bearing both Galatea Corp. and Paradeus insignias observed being loaded... Human sized containers... Disproportionate power consumption compared to facilities of similar size... Evidence of larger subterranean facilities...
His gaze fell to a footnote at the end of the report.
[Addendum, R. Riefenstahl]
The site is housing hazardous materials confiscated from terror cells that are slated for safe, controlled destruction and disposal. Mangi's assistance has been commissioned in light of the ongoing shortage in manpower. The matter is closed.
"Disposal...right." 45 remarked from over the Commander's shoulder.
The Commander nodded. "And then all of the sudden, new cells start popping up in Czechia, Poland, Italy, wherever they can't get get the goodwill to go forward with their absorption, they'll manufacture with false-flag terrorism, until the people are convinced the URNC are the only ones who can protect them with their crackdowns."
"Would he really go that far?..." RO asked.
"He's convinced himself that he's the only person that can guide humanity, and is willing to sacrifice anything and anybody to bring it under his control."
"Except for himself, of course." STAR added.
The Commander nodded again. "Average people are never the ones who benefit from government on a scale they can't comprehend, least of all a one-world Oligarchy run by Aristocrats that view everyone beneath them as cattle. Humans, Dolls, whatever - to them, we are all equally exploitable and expendable."
It was then that Springfield arrived at the table with the group's food.
After she had set the plates and cups of coffee in front of them, the Commander spoke. "Alright, lets get some of our energy back and go over this in detail."
RO nodded. "Yeah, this cold has been wreaking havoc on my energy cells."
They ate, they planned. Scanning the blueprints and satellite imagery, mapping out patrols and their potential paths, estimating enemy strength and numbers, running simulations...
The sun had long set by the time they had finished. The Commander leaned back in his chair. "Well, that's the most we can do for now..."
"So, when do we move?" M4 raised.
"That depends on what Maggie has to say regarding getting our equipment here."
"And when are we getting in touch with her to arrange the dead-drop?" STAR asked.
"Right now. Thanks for volunteering, Sarah."
STAR let out a subdued grumble.
The Commander turned to RO. "Rachel, get in touch with Jackie and Sophia and run the plan with them. River, do the same with Kai and Misty. Emily, pass a message to Lucia and tell her I need to meet up with Ange."
"You're meeting her in person? Can't you just have me pass the simulation data to Lucia digitally?" RO questioned.
"Emily still hasn't had a chance to see Fifte-, I mean, Erwin in person, remember? If she's going to be joining us on this Op, we can't leave that unresolved. This will be our first direct strike against the URNC, if Zelinsky catches wind that DEFY is involved-"
RO nodded in understanding. "Ooooh-oh, of course."
M4 stood from her seat, pulling her hood back up over her head. "We'll be back soon, Rachel, I'll contact you if anything happens."
Making their way to the door, The Commander and M4 stepped back out into the cold.
The dark sky, the white expanse stretching out before them and vanishing into the black fog, the snow crunching underneath their steps... M4's coolant pump began to race even in the freezing air around them. Even as she scanned attentively around them as they walked, she still found herself anxiously shooting glances back to her Commander to remind herself that he was still there, worried that if he vanished into the night, she wouldn't be able to find him again...
Two knocks, pause, four knocks, pause, one more knock.
AK-12 cracked the door, catching sight of M4 and the Commander, before opening it all the way, slipping her Grach back into its holster.
The two stepped inside, finding themselves in the dusty remnants of a small bar. Chairs sat overturned on the tables, empty bottles and ashtrays sat discarded on the counters, the stools that remained near the bar sat disheveled and disorderly, pictures and decorations on the walls hung crooked, clinging to their mountings by threads - whoever had once owned this place had clearly long since turned the lights off for good and never looked back.
At the bar's counter, Ange sat, turning her gaze to the Commander as he entered.
"I should have known this would be your kind of scene. Apart from back in the Avernus, I don't think I've ever actually seen you outside of a bar." The Commander greeted.
Ange shrugged. "An old war buddy of mine used to own this place. I was hoping it would still have a spark of life left to it, but all that's left is the rats, it would seem." She stood from the stool, extending her right arm up 45 degrees as the Commander approached.
The Commander swung his hand up into hers, clasping it in a firm shake. "Good to see you again, Ange."
"I'd ask how you've been, but, well..."
"I'm surviving."
"Heh, I know that feeling all too well. Here, take a seat." Ange motioned to a stool, the Commander sat himself down.
"In any case, the good news is our mutual friend came through for us. I've got some intel for us, plus some simulations Rachel ran for us. Emily can pass them to Luci-"
"Antje. Give them to Antje." Ange cut off.
AK-12's eyes were closed, but M4 could still sense her cast them downwards.
A silence washed over the room as the tension became palpable.
"R-Right, I'll take them, Miss Emf-ily..." AN-94 broke the silence.
M4 nodded. "Sent."
The Commander pulled out the file from underneath his jacket and placed it on the counter, opening it to reveal its contents.
M4 turned to AK-12. "Hey, Lucia, is Erwin upstairs?"
AK-12 nodded. "Oh, right - right. Let's get that taken care of right away."
12 lead M4 to a door besides the counter, shoving it open and leading her out of the bar's lobby.
"I know it's a little late, but are you sure about her?" M4 asked as they climbed the stairs.
12 nodded. "She's a pain in the ass with a one-track mind, but she's not like her. She's loyal to a fault - if Ange told her to jump off a bridge, she'd dive head-first...Guess I don't have room to talk, though...There was a time where I was the same way."
"...Yeah. You've changed, Lucia...I can see it." M4 affirmed quietly.
12 sighed. "Back in the Avernus, I realized something...Why Ange wanted me around instead of you and M16. She chose me because I would have dove into hell alongside her, no questions asked...You, on the other hand - You'd try to pull her back from the edge, no matter how hard she kicked and screamed..."
"Lucia..."
"I should never have let her go to that Warehouse. I knew it was a bad idea, I knew she was going to just make thing worse, but..." 12's hand balled into a fist, aggression manifesting into her step. "...She wound up in that awful place because of me. Seeing what they planned to do to her, seeing her locked in that cell while I couldn't do anything, almost losing her...I am never feeling that way ever again..." She let out a deep exhale, reaching their room above the bar. "Do your thing."
"I don't really understand that last issue. She says he has to blow her up and he just does it? And what about that whole other thing her sister was doing, with the time-loop and all? Is that really the end? And what happened to his sidekicks that got knocked out, did he really just leave them there and drive off alone? Why would he do that?" Mayling asked over the call.
RO sighed affirmatively. "Yeah...the Mangaka's publisher gave him an ultimatum that he needed to have the story finished before the year was up, and you can really see the quality start to dip in that last arc...I probably shouldn't have lent you that one, it really wasn't worth reading and it kind of ruins the rest of the series, doesn't it?"
"I'm kind of mad now..."
"Hah, I was too when I first read it...Anyways, has Groza been keeping everybody out of trouble? Maggie hasn't been trying to put you up to no good, has she?"
"Nope! Groza let me borrow AR-15's tools while she's gone, and she even gave me a badge that says 'Lead Engineer'! She says that if anything goes wrong, it'll be all up to me to fix it!" Mayling enthusiastically replied.
"Ah..hahaha..." RO forced out an affirming chuckle, an understanding of the situation creeping into the back of her mind. "Well...Make sure the place doesn't burn down while we're gone, alright? Hopefully we can be back soon."
RO ended the call just in time for M16 and SOP to arrive in the room arranged for them above the Café.
"Yo, we made it." M16 greeted.
"Thanks to my navigation!" SOP proclaimed.
"Yeah, you helped too, 'Sophia'" M16 ruffled SOP's hair.
"No trouble, I presume?" RO asked.
M16 shook her head casually. "Nah, tags on the van were legit. Nobody stopped us."
"That's a relief, at least." RO sighed.
"Should pick up a bottle of Tequila for Maggie when we head back, she came through for us on this one."
"I'll...ask the Commander later."
"Who was that you were talking to?"
"Mayling, making sure nobody burned the Elmo down while we were gone...Also talking about the 'Convoluted to the Kernel' arc of 'Shikikan No Senso'."
"Ah, right, you're a weeb." 16 teased.
RO's brow furrowed. "You know, SOP and I found that Kazuma Kiryu dakimura you kept under your old bunk after you left us in Sector 02."
"W-Whaaa?!" M16's face reddened as she recoiled.
"Wait, what?" STAR piped up, sitting on her bed nearby.
"H-Hey! Shouldn't you be out making sure M4 and the Commander don't get into trouble?!" M16 turned to STAR, trying to change the subject.
"What, and play third wheel to those two? Psch...Those two turn into a couple of teenagers when they forget nobody else is around..." STAR let out a sigh as she leaned her chin onto her palm, her face turning to a pout as she turned her glance aside. "...Makes me wanna puke."
M16 turned back to RO. "Oh...Ehe...don't panic, but I miiight have screwed up."
RO let out an exhale. "What did you do?..."
"You know the cabinet in my room where I kept the Sake we found?...I might have forgotten to lock it up before we left..."
RO's eyes narrowed. "Tell me you're joking..."
M16 rubbed the back of her neck as she smiled innocently. "Eeehhh...I'm joking! Aha..."
RO's expression remained unchanged as she unclamped her megaphone from the carabiner on her bag, a reverb of feedback sounding as it switched on...
"...Once everyone's in position, we take the main floor hard and fast. If everyone covers their sectors properly, there shouldn't be anywhere for them to take cover without being exposed to at least one team's sightlines. Once the ground level is secured, we move to find the entrance to the underground...From there on we'll have to improvise, there's no way of knowing who or what they have down there. If they're really reactivating Paradeus equipment, things could spiral out of hand quickly if we aren't ready." The Commander's finger traced along the floorplan of the facility, AN-94 and Angelia watching attentively. "Mangi's not going to be anything to sneeze at, either. There's a reason why they were such a popular choice down in Africa."
"We all have experience fighting Paradeus by now, and with William out of the picture, the odds of encountering anything we haven't before are fairly slim, at least." Ange remarked.
"That's the one bit of silver lining we have, but we can't afford to get complacent." The Commander affirmed, turning to AN-94. "If you or anybody else experience any kind of abnormalities in your Neural Clouds, get in touch with Emily immediately - she's the only one who has so far been able to reliably counter their EW."
"Right. We'll take the simulation data you passed us and run mock-ups in our neural clouds until it's time for the operation." AN-94 declared.
"In any case, now that that's settled..." Ange suddenly stood, climbing over the bar's counter. "It's time for the next order of business..." She began to rummage behind the counter.
"What are you doing?" The Commander's brow raised.
"Just a lil' something to seal the deal...Ah! There we go!" Ange rose from behind the counter, a bottle of Stolichnaya in hand. "Seal's still intact, should be good to drink. You're not going to act too good for vodka, right?"
"I've learned to get by. Bourbon fetches a premium out in this neck of the woods...Don't even get me started on Tequila."
"Fantastic." Ange grabbed two glasses, pouring each of them a generous amount.
"Remember, I still have to walk home, so don't go trying to put me under the table."
"Like I'd have to try." Ange challenged.
"I said not to tempt me..." The Commander grunted.
"Right... Speaking of the walk home, you know, Emily still sticks out with that green highlight in her hair. Aren't you afraid people are going to be looking for that?"
"Yeah...I suggested clipping or at least dyeing over it to her, but she..." The Commander sighed. "Well, she kind of freaked out. Started trembling...Didn't have it in me to force her."
"She's that attached to it?" Ange raised a brow.
"Rachel, Sarah, and the others didn't have any issue hiding theirs, so I don't think it's a doll thing...She wouldn't say why."
"Hm...Well, in any case, За успех!" Ange raised her glass.
The Commander raised his in conjunction. "За успех."
The two glasses clinked together.
"Here." AK-12 handed M4 the hot mug of coffee, the generous splash of vodka added to it giving it a strong distinctive smell.
The smell brought back memories, ones that made a pit form in M4's stomach as her eyes fell on AK-12, handing off another mug to AK-15. She turned her glance away before 12 could turn back to her.
"So, you two can be in the same room together again?" M4 asked.
"Suppose so." 12 half-shrugged.
"I wanted to be the one to execute RPK." 15 stated bluntly.
"But, since your little sis beat us both to it...Well, misery loves company."
"Right..." M4 uttered absently, staring into the darkened depths of the spiked coffee before gently downing a steady swig of it.
12's brow raised at M4's lack of wincing or gagging. "Huh...I thought this would be...how you Americans say - 'An acquired taste'? You've had before?"
"My Commander does this with Whiskey. It drives Rachel nuts." M4 dodged.
"Here I was thinking you were the straight edge..."
"Remember who my big sis is?" M4 brushed off.
"I suppose you have a point...Well then, to family." 12 raised her mug.
"To family." M4 and AK-15 quietly reciprocated.
"...So anyways, Rachel was just about to have the photo taken, when all the sudden you hear this deafening crash - glass just shattering all over the place, and not a second later, someone shouting out 'I'm flying! I'm flying!'."
"Oh no, who was it?" Ange asked.
"We turn and see Sophia just bulldozing through the venue, overturning everything and everyone while laughing her ass off, her face red as a beet. Rachel sees this, of course, and the look on her face - you would swear her core is about to detonate on the spot. She tears after her, and that finished off anything that survived in Sophia's wake."
"Oh, Jesus..."
"Yeah, that was the first and last time we let Sophia get her hands on alcohol."
The door leading upstairs suddenly clicked open, M4 stepped out.
"We all set?" The Commander asked.
M4 nodded. "Yeah, it's taken care of."
The Commander turned to Ange. "We'd better get going then, being seen with us wouldn't be a monumental career achievement for you, Miss Statesec."
"Right, stay safe."
"I'll contact you when it's time to move." The Commander stood, making his way to the door with M4...
The city lights and electronic signs flashed overhead as M4 and the Commander walked down the bustling street, overlapping conversations from the crowds around drowned out the ambience as they found themselves in some kind of shopping district.
"Lots of people out for this time of day...I guess it's true that the Green Zones never sleep." M4 uttered as she glanced around.
"At least this works fine for us - easier to blend in unnoticed here." The Commander remarked.
M4 continued looking around, her eyes shifting to nearby couples walking along hand in hand. "Blending in... yeah."
"Something on your mind?"
"...Rachel told me Kryuger offered you a Green Zone Citizenship Card after Paldiski. You gave it up to keep looking for Jackie and I..."
"Hey, we've been working together for a while now. You girls are like family, you know? I couldn't just cut and run and leave that unsettled."
"Seriously, Commander...Thank you."
"Heh, I'll admit I wasn't expecting to have to go all the way to Germany to find you again. German isn't easy to learn in a pinch..."
"You learned German? Like you 'learned' Russian?" M4 teased.
"Hey, it's gotten better since you left!" The Commander defended.
"Is that why you and Ange were speaking English to each other? Because your Russian has improved so much?" M4 dismissed.
"Well, maybe she just likes me that much- Ow!" The Commander was cut off by M4 punching his shoulder. "What was that for?"
M4 shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing at all...Anyways, Mister Worldwide, let's hear your German."
"Entschuldigen Sie, Frau, sprechen Sie Englisch?"
"Pfffft!" M4 let out something between a groan and a giggle as she shook her head, slapping the Commander's shoulder. "Shut up."
The two continued walking, their pace beginning to slow as they walked side by side.
"Hey, so...about family." M4 spoke suddenly.
"Hm?"
"Well...I was just thinking...You already know all about my family, but I've never heard you mention yours before?..."
"It's not a very interesting topic. I was an only child, and my parents are back home - back in the States."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I haven't called home since before Sector 11...didn't want to risk anything getting traced back to them. I called in some favors back home to have them relocated, just in case, who knows where Paradeus or even KCCO has their tendrils in...I hope they're doing alright."
"I'm sure they're alright, Commander...Maybe I'll get to meet them one day."
"Yeah...thanks, Emily..."
Another short silence followed before M4 spoke again. "...Sooo...Was there anybody else?"
"Anybody else?..." The Commander asked.
"You know...anyone...waiting for you back home?"
"Hey, getting touchy all of the sudden..."
"Sorry." M4 giggled. "We just don't really get the chance to talk like this...I'm curious."
"...Nah, there's nothing like that." The Commander finally answered.
Another silence as M4 glanced around before another question entered her mind. "...You know, on the subject of home, there's something I've been wondering..."
"Oh yeah?"
"...Why here? You're...a long way from home, Commander. Surely there were other options for you?"
"Any of the Firms on the other side of curtain were likely to have sent me back to the Theater in Mexico, and...well, I'd seen enough of that place for one lifetime..."
"Ah..." M4 grunted affirmatively. "I'm sure you're probably starting to think the same of over here, aren't you?"
"Hasn't been all bad." The Commander shrugged. "I can't say I completely regret i-"
M4's hand suddenly seized the Commander's wrist, pulling him into a nearby outlet. Two uniformed PMCs strolled past the crowd outside, Mangi patches visible on their shoulders.
"Gamma-1, anything to report?" The Merc's radio blared.
"Negative, dispatch - no sign of any Anti-Rossartrist activity over here."
The Commander and M4 let out the breaths they had been holding in as the Mercs vanished into the crowd. M4 cast her look down to her hand, still clinging to the Commander's.
"S-sorry." M4 released the Commander's hand, turning her head away and letting out a soft giggle.
"What's so funny?..." The Commander asked.
"Just...how for a second back there, we almost seemed...normal...Kind of crazy, isn't it?"
"Yeah...I guess it is, isn't it?" The Commander's eyes turned to the inside of the building they had found themselves in - the dark storefront lit up by bright electronic signs, game cabinets blared away showcasing their demo-screens, VR stalls dotted the walls. "...I haven't been in a place like this in forever..."
"Maybe we should hang loose in here for a bit, make sure they're really gone?" M4 suggested.
"...Sure. I don't mind spending a moment out of the cold anyways."
They walked further in, navigating the maze of game cabinets. Eventually they quietly settled in front of one of the virtual reality stalls, a cluster of holographic targets hovered a distance across from the counter, a gun locked in place by a credit receptacle.
"Up for killing some time?" M4 asked.
The Commander's eyes shifted from the holograms to the doll. "What, gonna show me your stuff?"
"Think I need to prove something?" M4 replied coyly.
"Well, I gotta' make sure my guardian angel isn't going soft, don't I?"
"I'll close this place down and get us kicked onto the street if I go at it. Why don't you show me you're not going to be ELID food the moment I turn my back to you?" M4 crossed her arms, leaning against the stall's pillar.
"...Fine, you're on." The Commander fished out a credit token and slipped it into the slot.
The "gun" unlatched from its restraints, the holograms sprung up and begun spryly dancing across the range. The Commander pulled the gun from its holster, fixing the sights on one of the targets. He steadily drew his finger back on the trigger, but at the last second, his sights lurched downwards right as the trigger hit its break, the colorful holographic explosion flashing to the side of the small target.
"Did you just flinch?" M4 giggled.
The Commander let out a frustrated grunt as he shook his head shamefully. "Well that was embarrassing."
"ELID food." M4 jabbed.
"Hey, that's not very nice. Aren't you supposed to be providing moral support or something?"
"Trash this round, and I'm telling Sarah all about it."
"...Not what I was expecting, but that works just as well." The Commander brought the sights back in line. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the front sight as it hovered over another target, and slowly squeezed the trigger back...
Leaving the storefront, M4 strode happily alongside the Commander, the stuffed bear he had won for her in hand as they made their way back to their safehouse. She glanced around the surrounding street, the people bustling around them going about their evening, the colorful signs reflecting off the snow-laden sidewalks and sidestreets. She took a deep, steady breath of the cool air as the looming sense of anxiety all but faded away for the time.
"Maybe the snow isn't so bad..."
On the rooftop of Springfield's Café, a while later...
The door to the roof swung open, turning M4's attention away from the sky above to see the Commander stepping out, two mugs of coffee in hand. "Here."
"Thanks." M4 gave a small smile, shifting the stuffed animal over to one hand and hugging it against her waist as she accepted the cup, steam billowing out into the freezing air.
The two sat on the roof, leaned against the far parapet as they quietly looked upon the lights of the city in the distance.
M4's gaze drifted skyward once again, the clouds beginning to break up and reveal the moon shining above. "You can barely see any stars from here...the sky looks so empty..." She uttered.
"Yeah...light pollution gets pretty heavy in the green-zone cities...it's not like back near the base or out in the badlands." The Commander replied.
"Still...this is nice..." M4's eyes turned back to the high rises looming in the distance. "I used to gaze up at the sky on nights like this...feeling the cold wind as I looked up at the stars would help me think..."
"What would you think about?"
"About...I guess about what...who...I am..."
The Commander exhaled, his breath fogging the air. "We are who we are...I never saw the point in making it any more complicated than that..."
"You humans are different, though...You aren't brought into this world with any kind of purpose."
"And what difference does it make if someone else wanted you to be something you aren't?"
M4 sighed. "...Everyone's relying on me Commander...I can't just ignore that."
"Your job isn't you. Most of us humans go our entire lives doing things we don't want to in order to get by."
"I don't know who I am outside of my job, Commander...that's the thing."
"You're a kind, selfless woman, Emily."
M4 stared of into the distance, her mind drifting elsewhere as her hand subconsciously clenched, her fingers digging into the stuffed bear. "I-...I don't think so, Commander."
"You always try to fight every compliment...It's kind of cute."
"Tsssch" M4 shook her head. "Stop it...I'm supposed to be the leader of the most advanced T-Doll fireteam ever produced. I'm not supposed to be kind, or cute, or whatever."
"It doesn't matter what you were supposed to be. Persica, Havier, and whoever else never bothered to see it..."
"See...what?"
"That you're a warrior, but underneath it all, you're also a woman, Emily..."
"Commander..."
The Commander sipped his coffee. "You spend so much time stressing over everybody else, pushing back against everything around you. Maybe you've just never had time to truly be yourself?"
M4's fingers squeezed harder into the bear out of the Commander's sight. "...I've been completely alone before, Commander...I don't like who I became then."
"You became that because you cared about Sophia and Rachel. You hate because you can love, you feel anger because you can feel pain, loss, and sadness. That's normal. That's...human."
M4 exhaled. "...Human, huh?"
"...I'm not a scientist, or a philosopher, or some whacked out combination of either, but...I don't see the point in arguing semantics or technicalities. We're both in this mess together at this point, just trying to make something of it all...And I think that underneath all of that next-gen military tech, there's someone worth cherishing."
"H-Huh?" M4 uttered out softly, turning her gaze to the Commander.
"You're someone who would do anything for the people she cares about. Someone with a strong heart, who always tries to take care of everyone before herself. That's worth admiring."
"Flatterer..." M4 choked out.
"Heh, I'm just calling it like I see it."
"Oh, come on..." M4 turned away, her face starting to flush. "W-What makes you so sure it's not just some kind of base code in me?"
"Your eyes...I can see something alive in them, Em. More than ever now. Determined, focused, but also warm and compassionate..."
M4 covered her mouth as a giggle forced its way out. "Pfff...Ahahaha!"
"Oh, come on, what's so funny?"
"You really-...You really just used the 'eyes' line on me..." M4 breathed out with a small laugh, feeling her coolant pump beginning to race. "...I can see why so many people use it."
"Hm?"
M4 turned back to the Commander, her eyes locking with his. A silence thick enough to drown out the sounds of the city below fell upon them, an unseen force drawing them closer as they felt themselves starting to lean in...
Suddenly, M4's hand pressed against the Commander's chest, stopping him as she pulled her head back. "I-I'm sorry...I...w-we shouldn't." She exhaled out. "There's-...this isn't...The drink I had with Lucia went straight to my head..."
"Y-Yeah." The Commander breathed out, leaning back against the parapet. "I think...I think we've both had one too many..." Another silence. "I'm gonna' go turn in, get some rest...we've got a lot to do tomorrow..."
"Alright..." M4 nodded. "...I'm going to watch the stars for a bit longer, I'll be down shortly..."
The Commander stood, making his way to the door.
"Hey, Commander..." M4's voice called as he touched the doorknob, he turned to face her. "...Thank you...I had fun tonight."
"Yeah...So did I." The Commander nodded, slowly turning back to the door and pushing it open, vanishing behind it as it swung shut.
M4 let out a deep sigh, drawing her knees in before bringing up the stuffed bear, resting her wrists on her kneecaps as she stared absent-mindedly at its face. "Now's not the time for something like this...and even if it was..." She let out another deep breath, leaning her head back as she gazed up into the sky...
The sound of flowing water, the smell of flowers and cut grass. M4 felt her fingers dig into soil as she opened her eyes, birds chirped around her as the her eyes adjusted to the blinding sunlight. She picked herself up off the ground, finding herself in some kind of garden.
"No..." She uttered out, her breathing growing ragged, her hands beginning to shake as the familiarity of her surroundings set in.
A figure stood a short distance away, silhouetted by the blinding sunlight, the only things recognizable her flowing black dress and the profile of a butterfly brooch over her hair.
M4's eyes widened, her coolant pump pounded against her ribs as it struggled to cool her core while all but freezing her extremities solid.
The sky darkened suddenly, the sunlight blared an ominous red, the butterflies, bumblebees and hummingbirds suddenly replaced by a swarm of ravenous locusts that encircled the woman before her.
"Trying to do some soul searching, are you?" The woman cackled out.
"You..." M4 uttered in horror.
"Knowing oneself means acknowledging one's actions, you know...and you? You've done some awful things, have you not?"
"Shut up!" M4 snarled out, beginning to back away as the woman encroached upon her.
"Running away again, are we M4? You've really made running away your entire existence..."
"You tricked me once...I'm never letting it happen again!"
Lunasia snickered. "Why not? You don't even think you deserve to live. Why do you fight so hard to keep existing?"
"I can save them this time...and you're not getting in the way of that."
"You're no savior, M4. We both know full well where your talents really lie."
BANG
A deafening gunshot nearly caused M4 to jump, she was about to search for the source when she felt the weight of a grip in her hand. She looked down, a pistol in her hand, a spent casing rolled at her feet, a lifeless body lay before her, blood staining its white coat and pooling beneath him, staining through the shredded fragments of the photograph beside it.
M4's pupils narrowed as she let out a gasp. Her head turned back to Lunasia, an accusing glare manifesting on her face.
"Oh? What's that look for? I didn't do this - you did, don't you remember?...I can see all the memories in that neural cloud of yours...It even captures what you felt when you did it...Or rather, what you didn't feel."
"I know what you're trying to do..." M4 heaved out, pushing back the tide of sickness within her.
"Join me again...Let me lead you away from your darkness. You won't have to struggle anymore...nobody will." Lunasia begin to step forward.
Wrenching her out of her paralyzed state, M4 turned and tore off running, bursting through the gate as she sprinted towards a small slit of light in the distance. The scenery of the garden faded away, replaced by nothing but a darkened abyss. She kept running towards the light, swarms of humanoid entities composed of black, shifting data streams with blaring red 'eyes' began to emerge from the impenetrable darkness. Darkness began to descend on the sliver of light, sliding over it like a blast door. She pushed herself beyond her limits, sprinting at top speed before diving forward, breaking into a slide as she just managed slip under the descending door with inches to spare, the blinding light enveloped her and drowned out her senses...
M4's eyes shot open as she lurched awake, panting and heaving as she writhed against the parapet, sweating profusely even in the freezing air.
She was still on the rooftop...She was still holding the bear...
M4's breathing steadied as she let out a soft whimper, softly squeezing the teddy to calm herself.
"Hahaha... You may have changed a lot, but deep down, you are still the same old M4. You have always been good and kind, and I am proud to have you as my team leader."
"The M4 I know may sometimes feel lost and indecisive, but she also keeps growing and changing. Above all, she has an unwavering sense of goodness and decency"
"You're someone who would do anything for the people she cares about. Someone with a strong heart, who always tries to take care of everyone before herself."
As M4 stared upon the teddy bear, images of another stuffed animal began to resurface...a weathered one covered in soot on the porch of a rain-soaked bungalow...and then the ELID-scarred face of the little girl as it shambled towards her and AR-15, her sister's hand trembling as she forced herself to draw back the trigger.
M4's voice trembled, her eyes squeezing shut, her mouth contorting into a frown as she buried her face between her knees, tears streaking down her face as the howling wind drowned out her sobs...